Reform" is as dense a. ever. In a neighbouring county there has. been a teacher engaged at Tls. 400 per annum, who knew just enough to throw dust in the eyes of his scholars for a brief term only. In another county in Chihli the preceptor sent from Paotingfu was snubbed and retired in disgust, so that his salary hes beer accumulating. None of the officials in this region, with one exception previously mentioned} have dono anything about expropriating the count-Jess temples, as ordered long since by Imperial Edict. Neither the magistrates nor the village headmen have any motive to go ahead, whereas the priests have a strong incentive to ings as they are. But some of the shrewder ones are said to be quietly buying up land for private use with a view to guarding against. probable contingencies. It is many months, perhaps note than a year, since orders came to the local officials to set up Local Councils (Pac-Chia-Ohii) which were to look into local troubles
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.